Cyprus, a blast from the past.

LAGOUDONTIS, George, Code name: Kiotis. (Described by GRIVAS as ?a fine example of the kind of man produced by the Cyprus Police?, Lagoudontis was a Special Branch Inspector in Nicosia. Using hidden microphones, he tape-recorded meetings held by senior military and civilian officials in the Operations Room at Police HQ, later passing this secret information to Eoka. An Army Brigadier and an Assistant Chief Constable attended the meetings, held every day at 09.00. His primary role in the police was organizing anti-vice patrols in the capital, working with the UK Police Unit, RAF Police and RMPs. To maintain his cover, he said later, he got GRIVAS to add him to a published list of Greek Cypriot ?traitors?. With independence in 1960, he launched a protection racket, in competition with Interior Minister Polycarpos YIOGADJIS. He also tried blackmailing police informers. He claimed later that YIOGADJIS.was planning to kill him, his wife and two children. Lagoudontis then moved to Camden Town, London, in 1963, and lived in a center-terraced house. A wall in the living room carried a framed commendation for ?services rendered? from GRIVAS and another, similar certificate from the Governor of Cyprus at the end of Colonial Rule. He still boasted he had been ?Grivas?s Intelligence Chief?, but, from the safety of his London home, he added: ?If Eoka started all over again, I would fight once more ? but this time on the side of the British. For it?s clear to me now that what we Greek Cypriots did was wrong.?

Greek Cypriot Police chief George LAGOUDONTIS, a self-declared Eoka agent, stands next to a WPC from the UK Police Unit (extreme right) as they prepare for an anti-vice patrol in Nicosia, accompanied by RAF Police. Cpl HOLLINGSWORTH is wearing a dark suit, sitting in the middle of the group.

Rod Hollingsworth, a former corporal serving with 24 Royal Air Force Police District in Larnaca Road, Nicosia, knew Lagoudontis well. He remembers: ?George was so highly thought of that he was the only Greek policeman allowed to carry a gun, a small Italian automatic pistol I recall. We became quite good friends I suppose, all of his friends from 24 PD went to his 40th birthday party at his house (including Wing Cmdr Shephard) the Asst Provost Marshal and we were made most welcome.

?But before you think we were all hoodwinked by this man, we were told by our own Security Branch that he was not to be trusted and he was a double agent, but we went along with him and just played his game.'

LAMBRANIDES, Andreas (From Polis, he returned to Cyprus in May-June 1955 with a group of Greek Cypriot students who had undergone training terrorist methods by the Greek Army. at the start of He had graduated from Athens University with a degree in Theology.)

LAMBROU, Anastassiou. (She was another victim of police brutality, according to Eoka and her case, with others, became part of the organization?s propaganda campaign, especially in the United States. FACT: She had a miscarriage while in police custody. FACT: As a result of her miscarriage, she was taken to the Nicosia General Hospital where two Greek Cypriot doctors examined her immediately. FACT: They found evidence of an attempt at abortion, which had turned septic. FACT: She was 17-years old, unmarried and had attended a local Greek Cypriot medical practitioner before her arrest. FACT: At the Nicosia hospital, she did not complain of any ill treatment. FACT: Several days later, having recovered, she was interviewed by her lawyer Renos LYSSIOTIS and only then accused the Police of striking her on the face and neck and implied that this was the cause of her miscarriage. The investigation of this case was not simplified by the fact the medical report of the Greek Cypriot Government doctor who first examined her had ?disappeared? in the custody of the Greek Cypriot Gynaecologist who examined her and who produced in October and December 1956 and April 1957, three medical reports substantially different in content. The Gynaecologist was questioned on his final report and it was established his evidence lent no support to the allegations of physical violence against Lambrou. LYSSIOTIS, her lawyer, was arrested for active Eoka involvement.

LAMBROU, Andreas, Dentist (A single man, he lived with his mother. In the first week of January 1955, he hid a smuggled cargo of Eoka weapons from Greece in their Nicosia house.

(52A) Eoka agents abroad hid weapons in exported gas cylinders

Later, on 11.12.55, he attended GRIVAS, who was suffering an extreme toothache and a heavy head cold, in his Spilia hideout, while Royal Marines and Gordon Highlanders had just started an intensive search of the mountain area. The dentist was escorted there by Kyriakos MATSIS. With his mother, Lambrou became an expert munitions-maker for Eoka.)

LAMBROU, Christos (This 17-year-old Eoka gunman was sentenced to death for the attempted murder of SSM H MIDDLETON on 28 November 1956. The sentence was commuted.)

LAMBROU, Maria. (An Eoka messenger, she was arrested on 13.10.56. Although pregnant, she was taken for interrogation at the Omorphita Detention Center, where she suffered a miscarriage. She accused Sgt Jeffrey LEACH of the Special Branch of beating her during questioning. The Colonial Secretary denied her charges in a statement to the House of Commons.)

LANITIS, Nicos (A Wealthy businessman from Limassol and president of the Social Progress Society designed to counter the Left in this port city.)

LAZARIDES, Michael (A Student leaflet thrower in Nicosia)

LAZAROU, Andreas (He had a watchmaker?s shop in Arsinoe Street in Nicosia. This was used as a clearing center for messages between GRIVAS and his Eoka groups. Special Branch discovered what was taking place at his shop and offered him a choice: immediate detention in Camp K or to become an informer. Lazarou, father of six children and a wife dying from cancer, chose the later. Shortly afterwards he was machine-gunned to death after Eoka discovered he was co-operating with the Security Forces.)

LEFKOSHIATIS, Constantinos, Archimandrite. Code-name: Tselingas and Gounaris. (The senior Greek Orthodox Churchman in the capital and head of the Nicosia seminary was placed under arrest in summer 1956 by the British authorities for providing financial support for Eoka and using a network of priests to pass their clandestine messages.

He was also in charge of the team of clandestine printers, turning out Eoka propaganda leaflets. He was particularly active during Operation Pepperpot in keeping GRIVAS in touch with the Eoka town gangs. On 19.05.56, one of his seminary students was caught with an Eoka order, concealed in the endpaper of a copy of the New Testament, which had been slit open and resealed. Originally from Larnaca, he was also EOKA?s general rural organizer and administered the organization?s oath at the initiation ceremonies of new recruits.

In April 1956, he advised GRIVAS that Eoka members should fight for God and to help ensure this he ? Lefkoshiatis ? establish a ?Spiritual Supply Service?. Almost immediately the SSS sent out copies of the New Testament and other religious books to every operational group. Joint-Bible studies now took place within them.

Said GRIVAS: ?I wish to stress the spiritual supply of our members should be seriously taken into consideration, in order to create a disciplined and integrated army, on which we can rely not only to keep our campaign going strong until the victorious end, but also to provide the pure and regenerative force that will take up the struggle later on with the same enthusiasm for the purification and regeneration of our sinful society.?)

LEFTERI, Andreas. (Born 1930 in Trikomo/Iskele, the birthplace of Colonel GRIVAS.)

LENAS, Stylianos (Operating as an Eoka armorer in Khandria, the former Nicosia plumber, one of nine children, was shot on 17.02. 57 in Potamittissa by a 40 Commando RM patrol and taken for urgent medical treatment to RAF Akrotiri hospital. He died there six weeks later on 28.03.57.

Lt P HAYNES led the attacking patrol and was killed in the exchanges of fire with Eoka, when Lenas?s hiding place was found. Other members of the Lenas gang made a getaway, only to run into more British patrols. Two other terrorists died.

When Lenas first began making bombs for Eoka, he worked with Yannakis PAFTIS, a handyman at the Ledra Palace hotel, where he had a workroom in the basement.

By summer 1955 the two men had perfected Eoka?s hand grenade ? a water pipe junction fitted with a heavy base plate and a screw cap, filled with sharp metal fragments and the explosive charge, while the fuse protruded through the cap, and could be lit by a burning cigarette. He became adept at making Mk2-type hand grenades.

Two typical bombs created by Lenas. One consists of a concrete block stuffed with explosives and electrically detonated; the second is a pipe bomb, also set off electronically.
Lenas was active from the first day of the conflict, when he attacked Wolesley Barracks in Nicosia. His nickname was Krupps. He had a price of ?5,000 on his head.)
LEONNIDOU, Vereniki. (She and Eleni CHRISTOFORIDOU hid Nicos SAMPSON?s pistols under their skirts after he had used them in the firelight at Nicosia General Hospital on 31.08.56, during which Polycarpos GEORGHADJIS escaped.)

LENOS, Christofis. (This Troodos Mountains Eoka gang member was caught on 18 February 1957 by the Royal Marines during an anti-terrorist operation. Under interrogation, he provided information on how Greek Orthodox priests provided aid and comfort to the terrorists)

LEONIDA, Costas. (Papacosta) (Born Chlorakas 1915. He was both farmer and priest, who supplied food with one hand and arms with the other. He was caught and interned.)

LIASIDES, Antonis (Antonakis) (Resident of Yiallossa/Yeni Erenkoy, but few details known of his background, except that he belonged to PEKA.)

LIATIS, Alexis (Not strictly Eoka, he acted as a Greek Government emissary to advise MAKARIOS, mainly to tell him to maintain a dialogue with the British.)

LIVADAS, Vias. (Details of his Eoka activities not known, but in April 2007 he published a book in Greek about the Eoka members incarcerated in British prisons alongside members of the IRA between 1956 - 59 and their attempts to escape from Wakefield Prison in particular. The book was launched in Nicosia at a re-union of several IRA and Eoka terrorists. Said Livadas: ?With joy and emotion we are here now with Irish brothers-in-arms, with whom we experienced much together in English prisons, during the difficult times of the struggle for freedom. A common struggle against the same enemy ? the English colonialist ? with the same purpose: the freedom of our countries.? Livadas states that on 12.02.59, George SKOTINOS and Nicos SAMPSON planned to escape with IRA men Joe DOYLE and Seamus MURPHY. Only MURPHY succeeded. Livadas also asserts that Special Branch murdered Nicolas IOANNOU, another Eoka prisoner.)

LOIZIDES, Loizos (Born 1930 in Paralimni)

LOIZIDES, Savvas. Code-name: Alarichios. (Born Kato Dikomo/Dikmen. With his brother, Socrates (see below), he was a rabid enotist. Both were lawyers in Athens and set up the first Eoka meeting with GRIVAS and MAKARIOS in March 1953. He organised arms and ammunition supplies and was as involved with the Aghios Giorgios that the British intercepted at Chorakas.

LOIZIDES, Socrates. Code-name: Spartakos. (A Greek national, he had been a captain in the Greek Army. He was present when the Aghios Georghios, a vessel used by Eoka, attempted to land arms and ammunition in January 1955 as part of the build-up to the Eoka conflict. The ship and crew were captured and a Paphos Court sentenced him on 07.05.55 to 12 years? imprisonment. Since his arrival in Cyprus with GRIVAS, he had stayed with Papa AGATHANGELOU, recruiting gunmen. Keen to be co-leader of Eoka, he and GRIVAS fell out and Loizides was ordered back to Athens. Instead he was caught by the British, found guilty and sentenced to a term of imprisonment in the UK. He found Wormwood Scrubs unpleasant, but quite enjoyed Maidstone.)

LOIZIA, Vasso (A 22 year-old woman, he was an Eoka courier, who claimed she was stripped by male police officers on her arrest and then severely beaten. The court ruled her claims irrelevant. Governor HARDING said later her allegations had been investigated and found to be without substance.)

LOIZOU, Costas (He was killed 26.10.58. Born Marathovouna in 1935, he was part of an execution squad in Nicosia, before joining the mountain gangs in Kykko and Kambos areas

LOUCA, Andreas. (In February 1956, he was ordered, with others, to lay bombs at various points in the capital, all timed to explode at 19.00, during the visit of Colonial Secretary LENNOX-BOYD for talks with Governor HARDING and Archbishop MAKARIOS. It is unclear whether GRIVAS had told MAKARIOS in advance about his intention to break up the talks. He built a hideout in the Galata area, north of Kakopetria, and ran a group of five.)

* LOUCA, Loucas. (He died on 03.10.58. From Ayia Napa, where he was born in 1941, he joined ANE and became a student activist.)

LOUCAIDES, Louis. (An Eoka Area Commander, he survived the conflict.)

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LOUIZOU, Tefkros (Born 1935 in Ay. Nicolas, Lefka/Lefke. In the photograph above, he is sitting in the center of his mountain gang, an automatic rifle resting on his knee. Although the group are wearing uniforms, Eoka terrorists never dressed this way, other than posed, publicity pictures released to the mainland Greek media for propaganda purposes. Louizou survived the conflict. He was briefly captured on 16.02.57 and held for a short time by the security forces.)

LOUKAS, Gregoris (After Eoka had successfully raided the Mitsero Mine?s stock of dynamite in spring 1956, the authorities ordered the remainder to be removed by military transport to a more secure location. When the trucks were on their way, Loukas?s Kakopetria group ambushed them. Earlier, GRIVAS had ordered him to bury his diaries in a ?safe? place. Loukas was one of AFXENTIOU?s cousins.)

LOUIZOU, Loucas (A teacher from Akanthou, he attended the teacher training school at Morphou/Guzelyurt where he hated the British staff. He later went to Reading university and became an enotist agitator.)

* LOUKA, Loukas. (He died in 1958, while being tortured, Eoka says)

LYSSARIDES, Vassos, Dr Code-name Spartacus. (During the Eoka conflict, he treated wounded terrorists and offered them refuge in his Nicosia clinic. He later became a major politician in the Republic of Cyprus.

At the 1959 London Conference on independence for the Island, he acted as an Eoka representative and voted against the agreements between Britain, Greece and Turkey.

In 1963 he married Barbara Cornwall, an ambitious American journalist who came to Cyprus, hoping to interview GRIVAS for an ?exclusive? in the late fifties. The interview never happened, but Charles FOLEY, the editor-publisher of The Times of Cyprus, gave her a job. Lyssarides was one of FOLEY?s close friends. The marriage ceremony, at which Archbishop MAKARIOS officiated, took place at St John?s Cathedral, Nicosia.
When intercommunal violence erupted at Christmas 1963, Lyssarides was the leader of one of three Greek Cypriot irregular militia to attack Cypriot Turkish communities. Five years later, he founded EDEK, a left-wing political party.

Although they disagreed politically, he and MAKARIOS had been close friends since both were pupils at the Pancyprian Gymnasium in the capital. Throughout the prelate?s presidency, Lyssarides remained his personal physician. On the Archbishop?s death, he cut out MAKARIOS?s heart and showcased it in a glass jar at the archbishopric until 2006.
LYSSIOTIS, Renos (He was the Eoka leader in Nicosia and organized the capital?s Greek Cypriot youngsters to paint white sheets with the slogan: ALL FIGHTERS ARE AT THEIR POSTS, and then hang them on the walls of the Sports Stadium. This took place in August 1956 when GRIVAS had declared a ceasefire to which Governor HARDING called on him and his gangs to surrender.)

LYSSIOTIS, Xeni. (With his wife Angeliki, he profited from renting Eoka space in their Larnaca house during the duration of the conflict.)

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Well, sure, compared to the Vietnam War or invading Europe in WWII it was a cakewalk, but not necessarily a bed of roses for the troopies either. SAS used to hunt down and kill terrorists every day there, but it's not on the radar screen. And I realize this is from the period 1955 to 1959, when Canadian forces were not involved in the conflicts, as sure as shit though in a low level way hell was a poppin' there, and the place did not become a vacation paradise just because Canadians graced the place with their presence lol.